Printing mechanism.



A.. H. Buns. PRINTING MEOENISM. APPLICATION FILED 3112,' 1909.

l 1 v M15;

Patented Apr. 2,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q faz/E 22.70F

rUNman srArEs PATENT poumon.,

ALBERT H; BATES; OE eLEVELAN'D,v OHIO, AlssIeNon TofrnEf AMERLOAN MIJ-triomf: COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0E OHIO.

PRINTING MEHANISM.

To all whom timely concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT BATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland,.in the county of Cuyahoga and State of 0hio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Printing Mechanisms', of which the following ifs a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

In printing machines Where there is a rolling impression from one line to another, the pressure on each character in increased for short lines, with the result that such lines appear blacker. This is especially true with machines printing through aninking ribbon, where the pressure is comparatively great andthe darkness of the impression is `more or less directly proportional to that pressure. In machines of the character of the multigraph, for example, wherein there are linesk of' individual type carried in longitudinal rows on a rotary drum which cooperates With a rotary platen, this increased impression for short lines is noticeable and becomes more or less troublesome Where the machine is producing imitation typewritten work. This inequality of pressure has been remedied in machines wherein the platen surface is coextensive with the printing surface by overlaying or underlaying the platen. It has also been proposed, in stationary fiat bed machines', to roll the platen over projections and slightly lift it off the form.

The object of the present invention is to,

, with means to reduce the pressure for short halfA pressure, three quart-ers .pressure, or- A lines, so that the pressure 4per unit of area may be maintained substantially constant Within allowable limits.

To the above end I have provided means for varying te platen pressure for ind-ividual lines of type carried on a movable type-carrier, as a rotary printing drum, the

variation in the illust-ration shown being by four degrees, namely, quarter pressure,

-full pressure. The `variation may be still further refined if desired, but I consider specification of maersrteni.

give a practically uniformi impression.

The invention is hereinafter moreV fully described and its essential characteristics are set out in the claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portion of a multigraph, or rotary printing machine,u to` which my invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same parallel with Fig. 1'; Fig. 3* is a partial front elevation; Fig. 4; isa vertical section through the platen shaft; Fig. 5 is a plan above the platen; Fig.r 6 is a face view of a portion of my attachment upon the printing drum; Fig. 7 isa transverse section of Fig. (ify i Thel drawing shows la portion of the Inav chine frame comprising thc base 10 and the upright end plate 11. In this plate and in another standard, not shown, is `journaled a 'shaft 12 on which is the printing drum l PatentedApr.2,1912. V Application filed` January 2, 1909. Serial No. 470,375. n

13, this drum having longitudinal rails 14 adapted to carry individual type in parallel rows, the drum being rotated byl suitablemeans, as, for example, a crankll secured on the end of its shaft. Beneath the drum is a suitable platen 17 which is mounted in the end member 11. The printing drum and platen are suitably geared together, as by means of the large gear 20 on the drum and the small gear 21 connected' to the end of the platen. The end portion of the shaft 18 Which carries the platen ismade eccentric,l so that by turning this shaft on its axis the platen is adjusted toward and from the printing drum. A suitable handle 23 is provided on the end of the shaft for effecting this adjustment and a. suitable arcshaped plate 24 furnishes means forv locking and limiting the movement of the handle, this locking being accomplished by a spring 25 carried by the arc-shaped plate. This much is adjustable so that the pressure may be regulated for different papers or ribbons, While the handle throws the pressure on or entirely OE. The type may be inked by .a ribbon 28 the ends of which are carried by spools 2,7 in the drum.

[To 'reduce the pressure for. short lines, I provide means on the drum which may be varied according to the lines, and I connect this means with the arc-shaped plate 24e, so that, without interfering With the normal adjustment I am enabled to rock the platen and vary the pressure asdesired. This mechanism will now be described.

Secured about the drum I mounta band.

30, shown in detail in Fig. 6, which has through it a series of openings 8l, each opening having an enlarged and reduced portion, as shown in Fig. 6. Carried on the band by means of these openings are a series of blocks 32, each block having a dovetailed square projection 33 which may hold the block by occupying the reduced portion of the opening 3l. These blocks are locked in position by means of the strap 35 which surrounds the stationary band 30 andv is movable thereon toward and from the blocks by having an inclined slot 36 in which engages a. pin 37 carried by the band 30. Suitable lugs 38 on the strap 35 allow av screwdriver to be inserted between them, for eX- ample, to conveniently shift. the strap 35 circumjferentially, thus moving it toward or from the blocks.

The blocks 32, as shown, have four sides, any of which may be turned toward the crank end of the machine. @ne of these. sides is flat, another is concaved slightly, another is concaved still more, and the Iinal one is concaved greater still. The result is that these blocks provide an adjustable bearing ring on the drum. Against this ring hears a roller 40 on an arm 41 which is pivoted at 42 and carries a segment of a bevel 43 which meshes with a .bevel segment .45st connected on a short shaft 45 in the end member 11. In the outer end of this shaftis a segment 48 which has teeth meshingI .with a pinion 49 which surrounds the platen shart 18 and carries an arm 50 adpistably connected with`the arc-shaped bar 24. ThisA 4l moves that arm to rock the bevel pinions andthereby rock the segment 48and the aftoshaped bar 24, this rocking being in the 4direction to decrease the platen pressure.

FI vhave shown the blocks 32 adapted for ordinary double space Work, that is, one blockforevery other type channel provided 'by the multig'raph. l itis desired to use the mechanism on single spew work, the'result can; conveniently accomplished by dupl i concavity toward the crank.

'eating the mechanism shown in Fig. G, one set of such mechanism being displaced eireumferentially for the width ot' a block' from the other one, and blocks of either set operating on the arcual bar 24. By such means the necessity of reducing the blocks vto the small size required to present a block for each type channel is avoided, though it desired the blocks could be arranged for each type channel.

Assuming that the machine is using lines in ordinary double space work, it will be seen that there is one block 32 for each. Each line which is full length, or substantially full length, has its block turned with the flat face toward the crank handle. It the length of the line, however, is more nearly three quarters long, the corresponding block 32 i's turned with its face of least It the line is approximately half length, the face of middle concavity is used, while it' theline is approximately quarter length, the face of greatest concavity is used. lt is very easy to Set these blocks, simply slipping back the stopring 35, shoving the block to the enlargement in the opening 3l, turning it around to present the desired face. Fig. 3 shows one of the blocks with its concave tace active, the other blocks shown in the figure presenting flat faces. lt is to he understood that the total variation in distance hetween the platen as adjusted for the smallest line and that for the maximum line is very slight, being measured by thousaiidths ot inches, so that the movement required by the roller 40 to effect the desired variation in pressure is not great. j

Various changes in my mechanism may be made Without departing from the spirit ot` my invention and ,I donot"\vish to be understood as limiting myself to the pai'- ticular embodiment shown 'further than the claims and the state of the art require. One of the advantages of substantially this embodiment, however, is its adaptability to the present multigraph, which may he easily varied to accommodate it. The arcshaped plate 24 `instead of being mounted on the end member can be simply made as a spider mounted on the hub of the pinion (as shown) andthe normal adjustment can be made by theslot and screw between this spider and the arm 5 0. Space can be provided on the drum for the blocks and their holding means, and the intermediate mechanism is simple and may be located out of the way.

Having thus described what I claim is.:

1. The combination of amovable member formed With rails to carry individualv lines of loosely held` type, a rotary impression my invention,

platen, an eccentric adjustment for such.

.of type, an impression pla-.ten .having a .sur-

face- -ivhich is Inon-coextensive with -.t.he.prin.t

ing surface, and @multiplying means for varying .the pressure (on individual lines.

v 4. Tlieeonibination of a .rotary type .cany

rying drum .adapted .to carry individual lines .of type, a rotary impression platen having a ,periphery less than that of .the drum, and mechanism tcomposed of va set `of moving pants for Aautomatically .var-ying the pressure :between ethe drinn and .platen .for

varying lengths Aof line.

5. 'The .combination of ya rotary .printing ,dru-in, .a rotary impression platen, an ec- `cent-ric .adglustinent -for such platen, `,gigearingy yfor `swinging such eccentric, v a yseries `ot 'blocks carried [on A.the drum ,adapted to form a variable'guide, .and a member connecting vthe gearing with such guide.

t 6. The `eonibinationof a rotary Lprinting gdiumdapted to .ear-ry individual lines, a

rotaryl impression ,.platen, 4an .accent-rie mounting for L-thne platen, means for turii- -lngfthe :platen .in ysuch eccentricmounting to 1.move the Y.platen `to idle .olfactive .positiom ,and .additional means for .turning the' vec- .centric mounting to r change,the .platen pres -entaftion -for individual lines.

7. The Acombination 'ofv a type carrying member., a rotary impression platen, an ec- .cent1-ie lmounting forthe platen, a 'lever for turning :the ymounting lto vary .thel .platen y pressure, a vstop* f 1' such vlever, said 'stopj beingI .inovable, ain means mounted A`on the .type .carrying member for Vmoving such. stop.

I8. The .combiiia"iion fof a ytype .carrying `member adapted ,to hold ,parallel lines .ot' type, a series of blocks .each vhaving .variable faces, said blocks being vadapted :to bepositioned with .reference to particular "lines,

a rotary impression platen, .means or press- .Q -ing .the saine .against tthe type'form, and; .means for varying .such .pressure at indi` vidual Apoints according .to which rface of@ `the corresponding bloo'k is in active por,

sition.

9. 'l lhe `combination :of arotarytype-holdi ing drum, an limpression platen, a band on the drum having .a series of open1ngs,blocks having feet engaging such openings7 said blocks being shiftable `to `present vai-ving lengths of line.

-rlrangi-ng ,having a plurality Lof -aees .of varying con- Cavity,` an arm .carrying a roller adapted to engage the concave y,ed-ges .of such blocks, an impression platen, and means for varying .the pressure .thereof controlled by said arm.

`1l. `The .combination of means adapted to lhold a `1type, form ,of ,individual lines, .a roller impression yplaten, lan eccentric adjustment I .it-liei'efor, and vmeans for automatically .changing such -.idjustment i'or varying 712.-lll'ie'eombination .of a printing member `adgapte-d ,to ,carry a ribbon over the printing .surface composed .of individual lines, a Iroller impression ppl-aten, and mov- ;alble Iine'clnmfisin iiiclmiilg 4gearing adapted tohange 4,the axis ot' the platen yapcording .to indiikluazl :lines kon the printing member.

13. "lhe v.combination .of a rotary type Carrying drum, an rin'king ribbonv carried thereby, arollci' iinpicssion platen, and an `eccentric ,and gea ing or automatically v :the position oi .the axis of the platen Aas vshort -`lines are presented thereto.

. 114:. 'rllhe combination ot' a printing inem- .ber a rotary .impression ,platen mounted 'on a norimilly rstationair)r anis, 1and means for rturning .sueh' axis automatically for short lines.

15. 'llhe .coinbiu-.rtikn .of a vrotary type holding,dumm a rotary impression platen, line/ans for adjusting the platen by hand, and irrans .toigiving it another adjustment dependent upon .the lengths oi lines of type on ,the drum.

16. The `combinatioit .of a rotary type holding drum, a rotary rimpression platen, a lever `ftfoi movin/g the platen to or from active position, .and automatic means for lmoving the platen slightly for short lines.

l7. The ,combination ywith a movable type carrying member adapted to carry indi vidual lines .of Atype, `oi' a roller impression platem means ior moving the axis of such platen to lpresentthe platen to the type .carrying member or yivithdraw it out of en- :gagement therewith, and automatic means {foiy,nn-)ying the platen a shorter distance ,according .to `imliyidua-l lines on the type `ea-rr-ying member.

sure between the platen and the drum, and means including movable mechanism mounted ottl of the drum for automatically relieve ing suoli pressure for short lines on the drum.

19. The combination of a rotary drum adapted. to hold individual lines, an. impression platen,l mechanism for changing the presentation of the platen and the drum, means on the drum acting` on said meclianism and moving'the same at the point of engagement 'longitudinally of the drum to vary the platen presentation.

20. The combination of a rotary drum adapted to carrying individual lines of type, a rotary cooperative impression platen, ecoentrically mounted, and means for automatically swingingeuch `eccentric mounting various amounts during the rotation of the, drum, according to the lengths of individual lines. y

2l. The combination of a rotary type- Iholdingg drum, an impression platen, a sel ries of blocks mounted on the drum7 mechanism cooperating with said blocks, adapted to be moved thereby various amounts in the direction of the length of .the drum, and means moved by said mechanism for adjusting the platen presentation.

2Q.. The combination ot' a rotary drum adapted to hold individual lines of type, a

rotary impression platen, means for throw! ing the platen into inactive position, movable mechanism for changing the presentation of the platen and drum during the rotation or" the drum, and means for oper ating said movable mechanism various amounts, according` to the lines of type on the drum.

1n testimony whereof, l hereunto affix my signature in the presence oi two Witnesses.

' AL'BlFfR'l H, BATES.

l/Vitnesses Com" B. MUELLER, BRENNAN B. WEST. 

